mnealtx 0 #76 November 30, 2011 QuoteQuoteQuoteIf drawings exist, making a new round of Atlas V boosters is probably the most effective way to get meatware back in space. The upcoming SLS seems to be an acceptable replacement, with the ability to deliver up to 129,000 kg to Low Earth Orbit vs. 119,000 kg for the Saturn V. I thought the SLS funding was being redistributed to commercial developments? Just what I heard, I have nothing to back that up. I have no clue, just saw it in a comparison of super heavy launch systems on wikipedia. Quoteregardless of the fact that Earth orbit rendezvous will be the backbone of any interplanetary flight, big(er) rockets are needed. The Saturn V is old, even if it is the coolest rocket ever made. Modern integration of that monster might be just as expensive as developing newer awesome. Delta IV Heavy, Falcon Heavy and other proposed heavies would probably also be ideal candidates. Delta IV-H is only 23k to LEO, Falcon Heavy is 53k to LEO.Mike I love you, Shannon and Jim. POPS 9708 , SCR 14706 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rehmwa 2 #77 November 30, 2011 QuoteQuote Better than the half billion given to Solyndra, or mailing out more food stamps or in the case of New Orleans, handing out debit cards for girlie bars ! Nice selective list. I don't suppose you want to include pouring trillions into Iraq or giving millions in sweetheart deals to Halliburton, do you? Thought so. So are you ready to extend that list back for how many administrations? Today's list is applicable for today. I suspect those misdeeds got plenty of time on these board 4 years ago. Unless you are using past misdeeds to rationalize the current misdeeds of your favorites. ... Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #78 November 30, 2011 Quote Earth orbit rendezvous will be the backbone of any interplanetary flight, big(er) rockets are needed. You are correct that Earth Orbit Rendezvous will be necessary, but the beauty of it is that you DON'T need huge rockets. The Space Station didn't use one huge rocket, but EOR is exactly how is was constructed - piece by piece by piece. EOR allows the construction of a large vehicle. If going to the moon, then EOR would be fine except for the fuel requirements necessary, which requires a large rocket to get BACK from the moon and the pain in the ass of landing such a rocket in a way that can be relaunched. More so that anything, a space station would likely be there to operate as our truck stop. Launch a manned vehicle to the rendezvous point (which a space station does nicely) and fuel up there. The heavy launch vehicles are pretty reasonable for putting more massive things up there at high velocities. They are also there for high inclination orbits (polar orbits and the like) because of the inability to even DO an EOR with light or even medium lift vehicles. Thus, the disadvantage of a space station would be that it would only be accessible via only a limited deviation from the station’s orbital inclination. For example, Apollo 10 had an earth orbital inclination of 32.5 degrees at a 115-118 mile orbit prior to TLI. Meanwhile, Apollo 13 was a few miles lower in orbit but its inclination was 33.5 degrees before TLI. Doesn’t sound like much but more delta v is required for an inclination change than for anything else. Just one degree of inclination change takes a massive amount of fuel, and would make a space station not useful in most things. (It’s like having a truck stop in Omaha. Yeah, there’s a lot of traffic through there and it is helpful for lots of things but a gal driving from Los Angeles to Miami would not want to plan on using that truck stop.) I love discussions like this… My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Calvin19 0 #79 November 30, 2011 Quote I love discussions like this… Me too. But we need EOR -AND- bigger rockets. Take Skylab, the largest single module interior volume yet to be in space. 500,000kg from 50 launches means that most of the mass up there is the mass needed to connect 50 parts together. 500,000kg from 10 launches means more fuel, air, and pressurized volume. And the moon is just another parking space. People need to go FARTHER. Even if people went to the moon it would be comparatively boring. We, the people of Earth, need to send people to the moons of Saturn and Jupiter. Or, we need "Jupiter V" rockets. (eight SRBs, Four EFTs [From STS] for fuel and ten J-1 [from SaturnV] or better motors on the main stack. http://www.amcsorley.dsl.pipex.com/my_orbiter_addons.htm#Jupiter_%20V Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,120 #80 November 30, 2011 >Take Skylab, the largest single module interior volume yet to be in space. 500,000kg >from 50 launches means that most of the mass up there is the mass needed to >connect 50 parts together. 500,000kg from 10 launches means more fuel, air, and >pressurized volume. Always thought that the wet hab idea had a lot of merit. I was disappointed that the early external-tank-as-space-station ideas were never pursued. It actually takes less fuel to leave the ET in orbit, and had we left them there we would now have around a million square feet of pressurizable living space (filled with oxygen from the dregs of the liquid oxygen remaining in the tank) in orbit. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dks13827 3 #81 December 1, 2011 Let's not forget corporate knowledge and culture. That is, if everyone in a given company writes down his knowledge, then everyone retires, the new guys will have a tough time starting out the next day. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dks13827 3 #82 December 1, 2011 Haliburton !!! HALIBURTON HALIBURTON HALIBURTON !!!! Now there's a name I have not heard in quite a long time........... wait, I forgot..... BUSH !! BUSH BUSH BUSH !!!! I got it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
